Minds Beneath Us Review: The Cost Of The Human Mind

Minds Beneath Us is a choice-driven narrative side scrolling adventure game created by a Taiwanese Indie Game developer called Bearbone Studio. This team of developers established their business in 2019, dedicating their work to delivering impactful stories and exploring a diverse collection of narratives. According to Bearbone Studios, players can always expect a variety of genres and gameplay styles at the hands of their team. Bearbone Studio debuted Minds beneath Us as it’s first game, making its initial appearance as a Demo during June of Next Steam Fest 2024.

My immediate impression of Minds Beneath Us was reeled in by it’s signature artstyle. I loved the designs of the characters and how fluid the animations were, already I knew I was walking into a well-made game. However, what I didn’t expect was how in-depth this game really was. I was surprised to find myself almost addicted to completing this story. Each chapter never failed to keep me hooked as I continued on with the protagonist’s daily life. But it’s not like I was just witnessing the character’s story, no, I was living it. I played the game like each decision I made was my own. And seeing the effects of it and how it shaped the world around me was terrifying yet somewhat satisfying too. The game’s ability to create such an immersive world that felt almost realistic was captivating. In some ways, the biggest downfall of the game was not being long enough. Although 5 chapters with a minimum 15 hours of exploration is quite a hefty game for a narrative adventure already. I still think there is so much left of this world to be explored. 

Minds Beneath Us is available on Steam for $19.99.

Story – A Penny For Your Thoughts

When AI becomes fully implemented into the pillars of society, step into the behind the scenes of a new dystopian era. Set in an alternative futuristic setting of the Taipei streets, the capital of Taiwan, where humans are exploited for the revolutions of AI. As society makes way for the evolution of the AI industry, the disadvantaged citizens are left behind to fend for their own with no choice but to offer a piece of themselves to the greedy corporations. Navigate through this relentless dystopia as you meet new people and perspectives, making challenging choices that will define your future and shape the paths and relationships of others. Discover the secrets behind the power and cost of the human mind.

Minds Beneath Us delivers an impeccable story for an indie game. The amount of thoughtful writing that goes into, not just the story, but the dialogue as well. I was able to connect with many of the characters and felt as if I were talking to real people apart of a real environment. And of course, the twists and challenges of the plot never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat.

To be honest, the story had an immense build up and while I do feel the ending came out a bit flat, I wasn’t disappointed at all. Without spoilers, the ending may appear bittersweet and almost unsatisfactory. However, with the amount of world building, it would be impossible to reach a conclusion of that stature. Therefore, I believe the ending(s) fit perfectly with how a story like this should end, maybe even wanting more? While there’s no confirmation of it, I would like to see a continuation of this story or maybe another game set in the same universe. There are many questions left unanswered and Bearbone Studio has my support in any sequel.

Gameplay – Consequence and Convergence

Now to get more technical. This is a text-based narrative adventure and without voice-acting, reading a surplus of text is inevitable for a story-driven game. Nonetheless, one of the encouraging feats of Minds Beneath Us would be its ability to keep this style of gameplay engaging to its audience. The games uses a WASD layout for it’s controls. Since the game is mostly 2-dimensional, you only have to use A and D to walk around. Using E to interact with objects and your mouse to read information about objects in the area and selecting dialogue. The game also includes a few quick-time-events (or QTEs). Using E and Space to dodge and attack, the player may be faced in a situation where they’ll have to use quick reflexes in order to survive.

Be quick.

Mind Over Matter

Unlike many games of a similar caliber, Minds Beneath Us provides many opportunities for characters to make choices within the game. And these aren’t your typical major plot-altering decisions either. Your choices actually matter in this game, down to the smallest detail. From questioning characters, viewing objects, even your character’s personality affects each outcome of your gameplay. This felt like the first time I played a choice-driven game that actually made me feel like my actions had consequences.

The only downside to this gameplay was the abscense of a manual save system. To be frank, I don’t think a manual save system is needed. Saving before each major decision can feel as if it defeats the purpose of making the choice in the first place. But in moments where I had accidentally clicked the wrong option, I would have to replay an entire scene again (depending on how far back the save was). Although, despite its setbacks, each replay allowed me to discover more of the game. Little details are often making a reappearance in the game, which helps engage players and can make gameplay feel a little less redundant (especially when rethinking dialpogue options). Since the game is pretty good at autosaving consistently, most of the time you wouldn’t have to reset that far back.

Graphics & Audio – Harmony and Disonance

One of the main captivating points about this game has to be its artstyle. Minds Beneath Us utilizes both 2D and 3D in its graphics. With a 3D environment with 2D characters and textures, the game creates an environment that is both realistic yet animated. Creating an immersive atmosphere that isn’t common in most gameplays, especially for a narrative side scroller. Bearbone Studio gives us a refreshing new scene and the smooth perspective changes as we follow our character help bring the world to life.

Each character, including background characters, look incredibly different. Drawn to match their personalities. This factor doesn’t mean a lot to some people but in terms of world-building, it can really affect your story and gameplay! Unlike most games with NPC side quests, I had grown to love these characters as individuals. NPCs weren’t just missions, they actually felt like friends – people you wanted to help. Characters in the story had understandable goals and perspectives that reflected realistic views. It was refreshing to see an entourage of characters that felt like they actually had their own lives in the game.

Of Sound and Mind

The Minds Beneath Us soundtrack does an amazing job at adding even more personality to the game. Composed by Kevin “Kounine” Colombin, the music in Minds Beneath Us creates a cinematic experience unique to game’s world. With over 30 songs, Minds Beneath Us features a soundtrack that caters to the depths of the game. From scenes to characters, even specific moments carry their own original theme that I could listen to for hours. It was important to have a strong composition in their soundtrack considering you could be spending hours in an area, exploring or fulfilling your duties. Columbin’s ability to add emotion in every scene really helped develop the games immersive quality and atmosphere.

Aside from the incredible soundtrack, the sounds effects used in the game capture a detail that is often overlooked. Since the game relies heavily on reading, some players may find scenes monotonous. However, for Minds Beneath Us, that is simply not the case. When a scene begins to escalate Bearbone Studio incorporates powerful audio cues that help pull players into the game. The sounds of fists slamming against desks, alarms going off, explosions and much more. These sounds help create an atmosphere for players to stay attuned to the game. I really appreciated this detail as someone who likes to fully immerse themselves in their gameplay. It makes you feel like you’re standing there in the moment.

Minds Beneath Us was reviewed through Steam, provided by JF Games PR.